Thermostatic gas valve



Dec. 1U, i935.

C. H. MORROW THERMOSTATIC GAS VALVE Filed Feb. 5, 1932 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERMO STATIC GAS VALVE Application February 3, 1932, Serial No. 590,572

4 Claims.

This invention relates to thermally controlled valves such as are used for water heaters or the like, and more particularly to a pilot controlled valve, its object being to provide a new and improved arrangement of the parts of a device of this character, adapting it to utilize a poppet type valve and simple operating and trigger control mechanism, and in which the gas supply for the pilot valve may be taken from the main line, ahead oi the valve, and is supplied to the pilot burner through the thermostatic control elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve of this kind in which the thermostatic elements and poppet valve are axially alined with each other, to the end of simplifying and cheapening the construction, and wherein the manually operable control parts of the trigger mechanism are movable transversely to said axis and are easily accessible.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through one form of valve mechanism embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, said view being partly in section and showing another position of the parts; Fig. 4 is an end view from the left in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the end burner member, Fig. 1.

The valve mechanism shown in the drawing comprises a hollow casing or body I provided with a cross wall 2 having a through opening 3 providing communication between the supply and discharge chambers 4, 5 which are adapted in the usual manner for connection to the supply pipe 6 and discharge pipe 1. Flow of gas through the valve is controlled by a puppet type valve member 8, the stem of which is guided in an opening of a boss 9 on a cap I0 threaded to the casing, said valve being normally pressed toward its seat by a compression spring 8'. The valve is moved to open position by manually operable means, such as the rod I I guided at one end in an opening of a boss I2 of the casing and sliding transversely across the axis of the valve stem and near its opposite end having a shoulder I3 forming an abutment to receive one end of a leaf spring I4, which at its other end enters a recess of the casing and abuts a shoulder I5 thereof. Fig. 1 shows the valve closed. By pressing with the finger upon the exposed end of the rod, it may be moved downwardly in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby flexing, bowing or buckling the spring I4 (Cl. 15S-117.1)

to the position shown in Fig. 3, and applying pressure to the valve to open the same. The outer or iinger end of the rod II is guided in a plug I6 threaded into the casing, and to normally conceal the rod and prevent gas escape, its out- 5 er end is covered by a cap I'I also threaded to the casing. This cap is removed when it is, desired to manually operate the mechanism.

For the purpose of holding or maintaining the valve in open position, latch or trigger mecha- 10 nism is provided, including thermally controlled parts governed by operation of a pilot burner and eiective upon the operating rod II. In the arrangement shown the valve casing is provided with a threaded extension I8 into which is screwed 15 one end of a tubular member I9, made of steel or some relatively non-expansible material, and held firmly in any position to which it may be adjusted by a lockvnut 20. The outer end of said tube is provided with a plug 2| into which is 20 threaded the outer end of a relatively expansible thermal element 22, which, for example, may be a copper or brass rod, the inner end oi which carries an extended pin 23 sliding freely in an opening of a plug 24, its inner end lying close to a latch 25 member 25 attached to the rod I I.

Tube I9 not only serves as one of the thermostatic elements, but also as a support for the pilot burner, which includes a hollow body portion 26 threaded upon the outer projecting end of the rod 30 22 and having a mixing chamber 26 therein provided with ports 21 open to atmosphere. The outer end of the rod 22 is also provided with a channel 28 which provides communication between the chamber 29 inside oi the tube I9 and 35 the mixing chamber 26, said chamber 29 being provided with suitable means for supplying gas thereto, such as the passage 30 leading to a supply pipe 3| which may be connected to any gas supply, such as to a portion of the supply line ahead 40 of the valve. The outer end of the burner member is provided with suitable burner parts, which, in the present instance, are of a form providing proper pilot gas flame regardless of the position to which the tube I9 may be adjusted by its ro- 45 tating adjustment. The burner in this instance is formed of a plug 32 having a. round head 33, while its shank is more or less star shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 5, providing a series of circumferentially distributed channels 34. 50 This plug is a press lit in the end of the burner tube and may be more or less driven into the same to various positions to control the size of the burner openings.

Fig. 3 shows the operative position of the parts. 55

. and does not escape into; theA openrroom. Moreover, the tnermostatic elements themselves. term4 It is assumed in that view that the supply to the pilot burner through the pipe 3l has been turned on and that the pilot flame is lighted. No matter what is the position of adjustment of the tube I9 some gaseous mixture ilows out from themixing chamber through the upper burner orifices around the star shaped shank 32, so that the pilotiflame burns easily without sooting and without tendency to'clog the burner openings, asf is' the case; when the openings happen to'be in the bottom only of the pilot burner tube. The heat of theu pilot flame more or less heats all adjacent or con#` tiguous metal parts, thereby expanding rod 22 so. that the inner end ofV its extension 23 "projects out beyond the end of the latchVV gthereby holding the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the valve 8 open so long as burn. y I w- Y 1 Should the pilot llame go out foi'any reason,

the pilot continues .to

the parts cool and the rod 22 contracts, moving the end of its extension to. theposition shown in Fig-. i and therebyreleasing the rod Ifl@ to the stored expansive power of the'spring,..I4,v which immediately straightens outand permitsthezvalve- 8 to. be moved to the closed position by its spring 8. The connection between spring I4 andvalve 8. may be more or less self'accommodating, such as by the provision of a ball 35 having a small teat 3&5,v passing through an opening in;` the spring, said ball, lying in ay socket of the valve and` more or less accommodating `itself to the Valve'initstol and fro movements., Y A Y, Y

When the valve has been closedbyf the; pilot llamey going out, as described, itcannot beopened except bymanualoperation necessitating removal of the cap: I'I, Vdownward pressure 'upon the endrofj the rod I Land ignitionoi the, pilot burner.

The rod I l is held depressed with tha ngeruntil Y the heat 0f; the pilotl burner suiicientlyV expands rod 2 24 to again latch` the yparts inthe mannershown in Fig. 3, When the. Caliisreapplied and theparts. operate; asA before..

Y With. arrangementathe suppl-vot gas 'tof the, pilot. burnerisindenendent ofgthevalveV itself and. isf not; out cilv byV closing, of the valine,l but; these pilot burners requirieron-ly asmallj, amount,

of gas-which in any event iswasted te the. stack thefgasi supply to: the burner and the valveis. of they poppettype and alinementwith the. thermostatieelements.. sothat; tlfief.'V device is? more or. lesssymmetricalzand relatively lowin cost of con struction.: At. theV same; time the; manually operaV ated parts move4 transversely and-provide an ar;- range'ment, in which. access may be, had interchangeably either to the valve` orto theoperat.- ingrod by the two;y removable capsaI-,IJy and I-I;. Y Y

- Oi course, itwill be readily understood that the-valvemechanism described is oapaltile,I of; sox-ne setting or adjustment; of the.. parts and particu;

larly ofthe burner tube t9,y Whichis, rotatably and longitudinally adjustable in thepcasng.' jBy screwing this tube in. orout: and .fixing it in the Y desired position of adjustment by the lock nut V2l), the inner end, of the extenslenimay 'be positioned'for proper cooperationv with'the latch 25:.V This adjustment 'not vonly takes care of temperature diiferences'ldue to surrounding atmospheric: conditionsor other causes,.zbutrnore imiportant, vis .an adjustment to. takefac'count ofin accuracies ordifferences in the lengthsref the parts Vor adjustmentsrthereof, such asp-at 'the threaded connections between theextentsion2.3.'Y

and the rod 22 .or between the.V rod 22; andfthe'plug aozaefio 2|. After the parts are all assembled the tube I9 is adjusted while cold o-r at normal atmospheric conditions to such position that the trigger 25 can just pass by the end of the extension 23. Consequently, when the parts are heated up Vby the pilot ilame proper latching is assured.

Under certain conditions the device need not functionas a pilot burner, but only as a thermostat. 'For example, the valve mechanism may control the owy of ygas to a burner, not shown,

Vthe ame of which is directed upon or in some manner heats the thermostatic elements shown in the drawing, causing Vthe copper member to expand and produce the latching effect described. When vthe flame goes out the rthermostatic elements cool andiVv release the valve for its closing operation. With this arrangement, the burner shownin Fig. 1;, including the base 26', the hollow bodyand the end member 32, may be entirely omitted, the llames of the burner not shown playingdirectly lllon or heating the, cuter thermostatic element,vr or theburner shown inlig. 1,I includingy the same parts, may be replaced by av cap of solid imperforate metal threaded upon the exposed end of the rod 22 in the same manner as base- 26'., This may be a. solid metal mass; that conducts the heatzto the thermostatic elements.

Ineither casa, the supply connection 3l). for the pilot burner is'. either left open. or capped; because no gas ilows through it.A Y

Moreover, Valve 8 need not. necessarily be a poppet valve,l but may be any kind ofy valve movable generally im the same direction as thelength of the thermostatic elements,v r in other words,

transversely to the direction of motion of rod I l..

Other. advantages,v or:A the construction will, bek apparent to those skilled in the art. f

What I claim is:

l1. Valve mechanism, comprisingA a hollowv cas ing having supply and discharge. chambers intercommunicationof which isfestablished by a portv therebetween, a valvecontrolling'intergcommunicationioiA saidchambers, means normally urging Y saidvalve tofmove to Yclosing position relative to,

said port, a. manually operable member slidahly mounted in said casingand'provided, with an abutment,` a leaf spring arranged within Ysaid casing between said member andy said valve and having one-of its ends;v engaging the abutment of said.; slidable`member and the, other of its ends engaging'a xed abutment with which Said casingl is.A provided., and ball and socketv connecting meansroperatively connecting an intermediate portion of said spring to said valve,: the, parts being YYso, Vconstructed and arranged that manual movement of said'slidable member toward said iixed. abutment causessaid spring to flex or bend sowthat` itsintermediate' portion moves, transversely of 4said member and moves said valve t0 open position relative tn'said port.j.

2.V Valve mechanism,A comprising `a hollow oasing having supply and discharge chambers'intering its other end engaging a fixed abutment with which said casing is provided, the parts being so constructed and arranged that manual movement of said slidable member toward said fixed abutment causes said spring to flex or bend so that its intermediate portion moves transversely of said member through said port and moves said valve to open position relative to said port.

3. Valve mechanism, comprising a casing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet inter-communication of which is eiected by a port therebetween, a spring-pressed valve cooperating with said port for controlling such inter-communication, a rod slidably mounted in said casing, an abutment on said rod, an abutment on said casing, a leaf spring arranged Within said casing and having one of its ends abutting said rod abutment and the other of its ends abutting said casing abutment, means operatively connecting an intermediate portion of said spring with said valve, whereby slidable movement of said rod effects movement of said Valve relative to said port, and thermostatically controlled means adapted to be operatively connected With said rod for releasably maintaining said rod, when the thermostat of said last named means is in a heated condition, in such position that said spring releasably maintains said valve in open position relative to said port.

4. Valve mechanism, comprising a casing having a gas inlet and a gas outlet inter-communication of which is eiected by a port therebetween, a spring-pressed valve cooperating With said port for controlling such inter-communication, a rod slidably mounted in said casing, an abutment on said rod, an abutment on said casing, a leaf spring arranged Within said casing and having one of its ends abutting said rod abutment and the other of its ends abutting said casing abutment, means operatively connecting an intermediate portion of said spring with said valve, whereby slidable movement of said rod effects movement of said valve relative to said port, and thermostatically controlled means for releasably maintaining said rod, when the thermostat of said last named means is in heated condition, in such position that said spring releasably maintains said valve in open position relative to said port, said thermostatically controlled means including a projection on said rod and a thermostatic element arranged in alignment with said valve and said port and adapted to be releasably associated in abutting relation with said rod projection.

CLARENCE H. MORROW. 

